Seal-lock



(No Model.)

4J. BOWLING.

SEAL LOCK.

Patented June 28 WHIDQSSZS Jol-IN DowLINe, or `ALTooNA, PENNSYLVANIA.

1 i i f iSE-ALi-LOCK.'

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 606,408, dated June 28,1898.. Application filed May 5, 1897. Serial No. 635,235. (No model.)

Tojal whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, JOHN DOWLING, a citizen of the United States,residing at Altoona, in the county of Blair and State of Pennsylvania,have invented anew and useful Seal- Lock, of which'the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to seal-locks of that class shown and described inmy former patents, No. 476,617, granted June 7, 1892; No. 482,118,granted-September 6, 1892, and No. 506,214, granted October 10, 1893;'and the object of thepresent invention, in addition to that of providinga simple-,com pact, strong, and ellici'ent lock, is to produce a deviceof this class which without other change .than that of size orproportions may be adapted for use in connection with either car-doors,

crates, boxes, or any other like receptacles" for shipping produce.

There is a demand for a cheap, simple, and efficient lock adapted forreceptacles Suchas those which are employed for fruit, berries,

vegetables, dac., when sentby freight or otherwise, whereby the openingof suchreceptacles and the removal and injury of their contents may beprevented or whereby any attempt to tamper with the same may bedetected, to enable the responsibility for such acts to be fixed uponthe culprits. A lock to be suitable for receptacles o f this class mustbe comparatively small and light in weight, must be capable ofwithstanding rough usage, and must be adaptedfor promptV manipulationwhen properly managed, while itis constructed to resist the most skilful'attempts of unauthorized persons to 'disengage the members thereofwithout injury to the seal.

Further objects and advantages ofthis invention will appear in thefollowing description, and the novel features thereof will beparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawingsfigure 1 is a perspective view of a lock constructed inaccordance with my invention as seen when applied to a cardoor. Fig. 2is a similar view of the improved lock as seen when applied to a crateor shipping-receptacle. Fig. 31s a'longitudinal section of the lockdetached. Fig. @isla transverse section through the pin-seat or guide.

. Fig. 5 is a detail view in perspective of the staple or keeper. Fig. 6is a similar View of the pin detached. y Fig. 7 isa similar view of theseal detached. r j f Similar numerals of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the gures of the drawings. f f

l designates a hasp provided with a suitable securing-plate 2, and 3designates a staple or keeper provided with a securing-plate 4. andadapted to be engaged bythe opening 5 of the hasp, the said openingbeing fitted over the staple or keeper and being held from disengagementby means ofa pin 6. In Fig, 1, which shows the lock adapted for use on acar-door, the hasp is arranged in a horizontal position, while the-staple or keeper is elongated vertically, the hasp being provided witha transversely-elongated opening to correspond with the shape of thestaple or keeper, whereas in Fig. 2, which shows the lock adapted foruse on areceptacle such as a shipping-crate, the hasp is secured to thetop or cover in a vertical position, and the staple or keeper is alsovertical, whereby the opening in the hasp is disposed longitudinallythereof. In other words, the staple orkeeper is adapted forarrangementjin a vertical" position when used in connection with eithera car-door or a shipping-receptacle; but the hasp is disposed eitherhorizontally or vertically, according to whether it isfapplied to acar-door or a shipping-receptacle.V l y Theopening in the s'tapleorkeeper constitutes a pin-seat and corresponds in cross-sectionalareawith the pin in order to insure a snug seating thereof, and the stapleor keeper, as above indicated, is preferably elongated parallel with thepin in order to provide an extended seat therefor. Arranged in asuitable recess in the rear wall of the pin-seat is a pivotless pawl 7,adapted to engage a notch 8 in the rear side of the pin, and therebylock the pin against removal in one direction. For instance, in theconstruction illustrated in the drawings the notch 8 is provided with anabrupt 'upper side and the pin is adapted to be inserted at the lowerend of the seat,where by when the pin reaches a point at which the pawl7 engages thenotch 8 the pin is locked against downward displacement,and this peculiarity of the construction of the improved lock adapts itfor temporarily securing a cardoor or other closure, such as that of acrate IOO ' but yet is desirable-to keep the cover in a closed position.The lower side of the notch 8 being beveled it is obvious that the pinmay be relnoved from the seat by movement in the same direction as itwas inserted. The seat is open-ended,or open at both ends, and hence thepin may be inserted at one end-as, for instance, the lower end-andpassed entirely therethrough, the engagement of the pawl with the notchnot interfering with said movement; but after the pin has been inserteda sufficient distance to bring its notch into registration With the pawlthe withdrawal thereof in the -opposite direction, either by jar orotherwise, is prevented. A flexible connection, as a chain 9,ispreferably used in connection with the pin to support it when notengaged in the pin-seat, and the attachment of this chain with the pinis attained by means of an elongated link 10, adapted to pass through alongitudinal slot 11v in the outer wall of the pin-seat when the pin isremoved from its seat. The pawl 7 is provided with an actuatings rinoV 7which is secured to he rear side of the plate 4f, said pawl being iittedin a recess in therear wall of the staple or keeper and being held fromdisplacement by means of terminal extensions 7b, as shown in Fig. 3.

The cavity or recess in which the pivotless pawl f7' is fitted is ofsufficient size at the rear side of the base-plate to freely receive thepawl, while at its front side or at the point of communication oftherecess with the pinseat it is contracted and is of smaller dimensionsthan the pawl, whereby the displacement of the pawl through the frontopenin g is prevented. Rearward displacement of the pawl when the lockis detached from the supporting-surface, such as the framework of a caror a crate, is prevented by the actuatingspring 7. The advantage of thepivotless pawl, constructed as described, resides in the fact that thereis less wear, no chance of damage by reason of the wear or breakage of apivot, the pawl may be mounted without perforating the casing to providea scat for a pivot, and a new pawl may be introduced with facility whenthe lock-Casin g is detached from the supporting-surface simply byflexin g the actuating-sprin g sufliciently to expose the rear enlargedside of the recess or cavity.

The pin is also provided at a suitable intermediate point with aseal-seat 12, which is elongated parallel with the lengthy of the pinand extends diametrically through the pin, whereby it is open atopposite sides thereof. This seat is adapted to receive a seal 13, madeof any suitable material and having a central recess llt in its loweredge, the width of said recess corresponding with the width of the pin,while the width of the seal corresponds approximately with the length ofthe seat. serted in a transverse direction into the seal seat or slotuntil its recess 14 is in alinement Hence the seal is adapted ,to bein-v with or in the plane of the pin, whereupon the downward movement ofthe seal will cause the sides of its recess to bear against the oppositeside surfaces of the pin and prevent lateral displacement. Vhen theparts are in this position, the insertion of the pin into the pin-seatof' the staple or hasp until the notch of said pin is engaged by thepawl will cause the upper portion of the seal seat o1' slot to beinclosed within the seal-seat and thus prevent the seal from being moved'upward-ly to accomplish its disengagement from the pin. In other words,the pin and seal are so constructed that the latter is engaged with theformer by two movements, the first being a transverse and the second alongitudinal movement and when thus engaged the insertion of the pininto the staple or keeper prevents the seal from being movedlongitudinally ofthe pin, and hence prevents the disengagement of theseal, except by breaking or tearing off one end thereof. Furthermore,the approximate contact of the upper edge of the seal with the lower endof the staple or keeper prevents the upward removal of the pin from itsseat without injuring the seal.

From the above description it will be seen that the pin snugly fits inthe scat provided for its reception and that the locking-pawl is locatedin a recess in the rear wall of said seat, whereby access to the pawl inorder to displaceit or disengage it from the pin is impossible. Even ifa thin-bladed instrument could be inserted between the rear side of thepin and the contiguous wall of the seat the contact thereof with thepawl could not be made to disengage the latter from the notch of thepin. pawl, insertible into its recess only through the rear of the plate4 and held from displacement by means of the actuating-spring,simplifies the construction and reduces the Wear upon the parts due tothe operation of the lock. Furthermore, inasmuch as the pin is ofuniform cross-sectional area throughout it would be insertible andremovable in either direction or would pass entirely through theFurthermore, the use of a looseA IOO pin-seat in either direction wereit not for the forwardly and rearwardly movable pawl which preventsmovement, except in one direction, which is preferably upward, ashereinbefore described. Hence after the pin has been inserted at thelower end of the pin-seat and has been advanced upwardly a sufficientdistance to bring its notch into the path of sufficient distance toallow the engagement of the pawl with its notch.

It is obvious that in practice various.

changes in the form,proportion,and the minor details of construction maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any ofthe advantages of this invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim isl.I In alock, thecombination of a staple or keeper adapted to be engaged by a hasp and`constructed to form an elongated pin-seat of uniform cross-sectionalarea, a pin fitted snugly in said seat and having a seal-slot, a

seal, to engage said slot, having a pin-engaging notch, and a pivotlesspawl loosely mounted in a recess or cavity in the rear wall of thepin-seat to engage a notch in the pin, said recess, at its point ofcommunication lwith the seat, being of smaller dimensions than the pawl,to prevent lthe forward displacement of the latter, and rearwarddisplacement of the pawl being prevented by an actuating-spring closingthe rear side of the rccess and bearing against the pawl to hold ityieldingly in Vits operative position, substantially as specified.

2. In a lock, the combination of a staple lor keeper of rectangularexterior contour adapted to be received and entirely encircled by theopening of a hasp, and having a vertical open-ended pin-seat provided inits front wall with a longitudinal slot, a non-rotatable pin tted toslide in the pin-seat and adapted to secure the hasp in engagement withthe staple or keeper, a pawl arranged within the staple or keeper toengage a notch in the pin, a iiexible connection, as a chain, attachedlto the pin and having an elongated link adapted to pass through saidslot in the front wall of the pin-seat, and a seal fitted ina-transverse opening in the pin and having a pin-engaging notch,substantially as specified. v

3. In a lock,the combination of a staple or keeper provided with abase-plate for attachment to asupporting-surface, said staple projectingperpendicularly from the plane of the base-plate, and having anopen-ended pinseat of uniform cross-sectional area, extendingcontinuously therethrough parallel with the base-plate, and also havingin one side a continuous longitudinal slot communicating with thepin-seat and open at both extremities of the staple, a hasp adapted atits free end to occupy a position parallel and in contact with thebase-plate, and having an opening to receive and wholly encircle thestaple in rear of the pin-seat therein, or between the pin-seat and thebase-plate, a pin slidablyn fitted in the pin-seat, and having anattached Asafety-chain adapted to pass through said slot in the side ofthe staple when the pin is removed from the pin-seat, a concealedlocking device Within the staple for engaging the pin and preventingmovement thereof in one direction, and a seall fitted in a seat in thepin and extending laterally beyond the same, to engage the contiguousend of the staple and prevent movement of the pin in the oppositedirection, substantially as specified'.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed`my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN DOVLING.

